Gran Habano #5 Corojo is a line of handmade premium cigars out of Honduras, with more than 15 vitolas sold over the years. This includes, in 2013, the Gran Habano #5 El Gigante which measured 3 feet wide and 19 feet long, wrapped in a reported 16,000 tobacco leaves. You're gonna need a bigger humidor.
While El Gigante might be too big for a casual smoke, Cigars.com stock plenty of the larger Gran Habano #5 Corojo vitolas, including the 7-inch Churchill and Grandioso, and the 7.5-inch Lancero and Triumph. Expect a smoke time of over two hours for any of the top-end vitolas in the line-up.
In this Gran Habano #5 Corojo cigar review, we'll take a look at the Churchill, one of the longest sticks in the line-up with a ring gauge of 48. It's a bold blend tailored to a more seasoned palate, so what's in store once you light it up?
Brand overview
Gran Habano Cigars are based in Honduras and famed for their expertly crafted boutique cigars, which are handmade to the highest of standards. The Gran Habano #5 Corojo is a truly premium cigar at the top end of the studio's range, delivering full body without becoming overpowering.
Available in packs of five and boxes of 20, you can grab just as many sticks as you need to fill your humidor, perfect if you like to keep some variety or you need to top up your stash. Try other Gran Habano #5 cigars from Cigars.com, including Gran Habano Gran Reserva #5 and Gran Habano #5 Maduro.
Cigar specs
- Country of Origin: Honduras
- Strength: Full
- Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
- Binder: Nicaraguan Habano
- Filler: Costa Rica / Nicaragua
- Smoke Time: Approx.2 hours (Churchill)
- Sizes Available:
- Gran Habano #5 Corojo Robusto (5 x 52)
- Gran Habano #5 Corojo Gran Robusto (6 x 54)
- Gran Habano #5 Corojo Imperiales (6 x 60)
- Gran Habano #5 Corojo Czar (6 x 66)
- Gran Habano #5 Corojo Pyramid (6.12 x 52)
- Gran Habano #5 Corojo Churchill (7 x 48)
- Gran Habano #5 Corojo Grandioso (7 x 70)
- Gran Habano #5 Corojo Lancero (7.5 x 40)
- Gran Habano #5 Corojo Triumph (7.5 x 58)
Cold Draw
Look for sweetness on the cold draw, which carries a quality similar to that of freshly grilled glazed meats seasoned with a sprinkle of pepper. It's a perfect profile for a summertime smoke, with a little extra heat of red chili after the initial draw. Your palate is left enlivened and tingling with anticipation as you light the Gran Habano #5 Corojo up.
Flavor profile: first third
The #5 Corojo blazes into life with more of those chili-hot peppery notes, which are also present on the retrohales, allowing you to choose your own heat for the first inch or so. By then, the profile has filled out with a more rounded creaminess, sprinkled with palate-tingling sparkles that add their own interest to the thoroughly enjoyable smoking experience.
As the journey continues, the sweetness detected on the cold draw starts to grow, bringing in caramel flavors to join the cream. An even burn and plentiful production of smoke help to keep everything on track as you savor that BBQ glaze taste.
Flavor profile: second third
Into the second third, and Gran Habano #5 Corojo becomes an almost serene experience, the smooth creamy smoke allowing you to just sit back and enjoy the ride. Sweetness continues to climb and becomes the prominent flavor around the center point of the stick.
Past the halfway mark, earthy tones start to emerge, contrasting with the cream and sweetness. It's a balance like eating freshly picked berries with syrup or confectioners' sugar, a perfect dessert to follow the glazed meat of the first third.
Flavor profile: final third
As the cigar burns down its final 2-3 inches, the burn line remains even. The flavor profile builds to the upper end of medium, still led by sweetness and invigorated by bursts of red chili flakes. Smoke production remains plentiful too, allowing you to use the retrohales to decide how much chili heat you want to experience.
Conclusion
Gran Habano #5 Corojo is a cigar that works with you, not against you. There's enough smoke and heat to spice things up, but enough sweet cream and syrup to relax and puff away right through to the end. You're in the driving seat.
Available in boxes of 20 to stock your humidor or packs of five when you need a refill, #5 Corojo is an excellent introduction to Gran Habano Cigars, and a worthy favorite to enjoy again and again.